SAM Magazine–Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 15, 2023—Skiers hit the slopes at New Mexico’s Sandia Peak Ski Area last weekend as the mountain opened for the first time in two years.Courtesy of Sandia Peak Ski Area

The opening marked the debut of operations at Sandia Peak under the aegis of Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), which announced a joint venture to revitalize the Albuquerque ski area with Sandia Peak Ski Company last fall. 

As the mountain’s Lift 3 began turning on Saturday, MCP shared that it would assume both ownership and management of Sandia Peak. The company owns 14 ski resorts, bike parks, and golf courses, including Purgatory Resort and Hesperus Ski Area in Colorado, the Arizona Snowbowl, Nordica Valley Ski Resort and Brian Head Resort in Utah, Willamette Pass Resort in Oregon, Lee Canyon in Nevada, Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort and Pajarito Mountain Ski Area in New Mexico, and Valle Nevado in Chile.

Opening weekend saw Sandia Peak using one summit lift to access its 300 acres of terrain and 35 trails. “We were (and still are) incredibly excited to open 100 percent of our terrain, and the public response was tremendous,” said Scott Leigh, Sandia Peak and Mountain Capital Partners project manager. 

"The reopening of Sandia Peak was never an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ for this team, and we are tremendously proud to give skiers and snowboarders in Albuquerque and throughout the region the freedom to ski,” he added.

Sandia Peak’s ski school, food and beverage and rentals were available for the opening, albeit with limited rental equipment and food and beverage options. Weekend lift ticket prices started at $79, and the ski area announced that bargain tickets starting at $19 will be available throughout the season.

Sandia Peak Ski Area will also be added to MCP’s Power Pass, which includes unlimited skiing at the company’s three New Mexico resort and limited access to the company’s other properties. Power Kids, the company’s free season pass for children ages 12 and under, also will be available at Sandia Peak.

Located in the Sandia Mountains 35 miles northeast of Albuquerque, Sandia Peak is set in the Cibola National Forest and connected to the city by the Sandia Peak Tramway.

The Abruzzo family, which previously operated the ski area and continues to run the tramway and its attached Ten3 restaurant, shut down the ski area for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, citing a lack of snowfall and staffing challenges. Sandia Peak has the lowest base elevation of any ski resort in New Mexico at 8,678 feet. 

“Thankfully, Mother Nature delivered on the snow side of that equation, which allowed us to open all 35 trails, top to bottom,” said Leigh. “As it relates to previous staffing shortages, Sandia already had a committed and fully capable team, and we've been able to hire the additional key roles to ensure operations.”

The Abruzzo family continues to operate Ski Santa Fe.

Report by Bob Curley